MANGA REVIEW | Skip Beat!

Skip Beat! Is about a girl named Kyouko getting revenge on a boyfriend who dumps her by becoming the top actress in Japan... And hijinks ensue.

To get to the top, Kyouko first has to start at the bottom - becoming the first member of her company's Love Me section. Despite having to wear embarrassing uniforms, Kyouko has to overcome the hardships of trying to make it into showbiz while all the while learning to gain more confidence.

During this she meets many rivals and friends who support her, one of which being the amazingly good looking Tsuruga Ren. As she stumbles through this bizarre new world, Ren slowly starts to warm up to her and Kyouko starts to move away from showbiz as a revenge tactic to actually really enjoying it. Ren and Kyouko also share a special childhood secret - but I'll let you read that for yourself!

You get to see her play a variety of roles which is really fun, from mascots to glamorous acting roles. One of my favourite arcs is where she plays a really cool punk alongside Ren as his sister. There are definitely some parts that get my heart racing, but for the most part it's a light and fluffy story.

You really end up rooting for the main character! She's not just a pretty face (in fact she makes a lot of hilariously ugly reactions) and works really hard to achieve her goals. She's the kind of character I'd really like to be friends with!

The manga is still ongoing at this time, with over 100 chapters so there's lots to get

MOVIE REVIEW | When Marnie Was There

A beautiful depiction of depression... and moving on.

When Marnie Was There is the allegedly final film created by Studio Ghibli, ending a long legacy of cherished animated features. It's actually based on the novel When Marnie Was There by Joan G. Robinson, which reminds me of the inspiration drawn in a similar fashion with Howl's Moving Castle. The story takes place in a rural town called Kushiro in Japan, the protagonist Anna having been sent there from her hometown of Sapporo due to some health reasons. Along with her asthma though, it's clear that Anna's a very introverted teen with something bubbling under the surface. It seems her foster mother picks up on it, and sends her to live with relatives, with the hopes that Anna's spirit improves as well.

After arriving, a mysterious event involving a foreign girl named Marnie quickly entices Anna into exploring the seemingly abandoned mansion across the marsh near her home. Both Marnie and Anna get along really well with each other immediately, strange seeing as Anna herself knows it's hard for her to make connections with other people. In addition, Marnie's curious circumstances only brings up more questions for Anna. Why can't she stray far from the mansion? Why can Anna only see her after high-tide at sundown? Along with a charming relationship between the two friends, it's also easy to fall in love with the spooky mystery the two find themselves playing a part in. It leaves you a couple steps behind, but immensely satisfied in the end.

Anna's character touches me deeply personally because of my own struggles of depression. I found it amazing how Studio Ghibli was able to capture the feelings that go on in many people's everyday life in a sensitive and realistic way. I found Anna's struggle in interacting with people an amazing message for people of all ages. Simple shyness is something you can grow out of, but the way the animation displays the sheer energy it takes for her to converse with people - even to smile - is something not really treated in stories that I have see or read. It was refreshing to see myself in this way, and even though she does overcome some of these challenges, the movie is fantastic in making you wonder if it will consume her instead. Masterful storytelling as always. I would recommend this movie solely for this.

But of course, with Studio Ghibli you also expect masterful animation and stunningly beautiful scenery. I'm happy to say that When Marnie Was There delivers on both these fronts. There's one scene near the climax of the film that sticks out in my mind, and the way that Ghibli animates things like water and simple things like grass... everything is touched with love and colour. It really blows my mind every time.

I think this would be a great movie for families to watch together because it treats subjects we encounter in life with respect and tenderness. I think this would also be a great film to study in classrooms for subjects like mental health, visual art, and literature studies among others.

[ The following contains spoilers and analysis ]

While watching this, I was aware of perhaps some influences from their other films. Of course, certain artists or studios will have they trademark looks.. but this seemed nostalgic for me. I grew up with titles like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, true fantasy films that transported you outside the familiar. For instance, the image of the high tide in Marnie really made me reminisce of the rising tide in Spirited Away. In Spirited Away though it marked Chihiro's passage to the spirit world, but the image of the water rising over her shoes immediately triggered the thought that maybe something similar had started happening to Anna. Before I even saw Marnie, I thought, "She must be a true ghost, or Anna's drowned and now passing to the spirit world". I held this thought throughout the movie for a time, as Anna kept being found looking dead at the side of the road, but also at the festival where they light candles. Candles typically represent life, and the one Marnie carries may represent hers at this point in the movie. When she runs to the marsh, a half-burned candle is already present on the boat which takes her to the mansion. It made me wonder, is this Marnie's candle or Anna's? It sent a shiver down my spine when the image of the candle being extinguished flashed. I thought Anna's life had been lost.

Other familiarizes between films were also apparent to me. In general, Anna's Auntie has the same facial features as the housekeeper in Arrietty, and I feel Marnie has the same mentor feeling Howl gave me in Howl's Moving Castle. She certainly carries the same magical charm Howl possessed. Even the kid that moves into the new house seems to be Totoro's Mei grown older. The old country feeling definitely feels like the classic Ghibli move to the countryside. All of these nuances weave together, making me feel like When Marnie Was There should belong with the other classics.

In terms of theme, depression plays a key role in the development of both the plot and the main character Anna. A lot of times when depression is involved in a story, I feel writers tend to over saturate the obvious aspects of the disorder. Sadness tends to overrule the character, which generally isn't true for most people who are depressed. In this case, Anna also holds a lot of frustration and anger towards her adoptive mother, which can lash out at the world around her. One example of this can be seen when she goes the the festival with the other girls. All of these intense emotions boil over and explode in this instance, but generally it results in her feeling alienated from other people. She sees herself on the outside, isolated, which is something that many people feel but is especially dangerous for people with depression. I also wonder if Anna possesses PTSD for having lost her grandmother, and then adopted, but it seems like that situation and her current state is a little far removed. I think her current condition sparks more from when she discovered that her mother had been hiding the fact that she receives money from the government as compensation for adopting Anna. This is also expressed by the mother herself as being around the time when Anna went from being a rather happy child, to becoming reserved and sad. A final thought I have towards the representation of depression here is that the depression manifests into a physical condition for Anna, another true situation that can occur in people. Again, I was really impressed by the respect Studio Ghibli demonstrated.

Another theme I feel is prevalent and goes along with the theme of depression is how a life can affect the people around you. For example, Marnie's life touches many characters. The painter (Marnie's childhood friend), the silent boatman, the new girl who moves into Marnie's house, Anna... I find that through all these stories is an elaborate metaphor regarding the effects of suicide. There's no doubt that throughout the movie, the action is focused on Anna. However, by seeing Marnie through Anna we can see how one life affects others. When Marnie leaves, the memory lives on in the present through other people. Since a theme of depression has already been established, I think this idea of human lives not being mutually exclusive from others is an important one to convey to audiences.

tldr; While I could go on, instead I'll urge you to give your support to When Marnie Was There. We need more movies like these that provide important conversations accessible to children while still being enjoyable for adults. I'll miss you Studio Ghibli!

GAME REVIEW | Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

The best MMO I've played in a long time!

INTRO

Final Fantasy XIV: A Real Reborn is the next MMO after XI that Square Enix has undertaken. After the initial facepalm of 1.0, Squeenix has bounced back in full with what is referred to as 2.0 (and above). With the first expansion, Heavensward coming out in just a couple weeks, I thought I would share my thoughts on this popular MMO. Just for reference, I have played Guild Wars 2, some World of Warcraft, and a few free to play MMO's on Steam. When A Realm Reborn first came out, I played the early access on the PS3, and then bought the game on PC. I've been playing on the PC ever since!

STORY OVERVIEW

The game starts with character creation! You as the player have access to many different races and an extensive character creation screen. I certainly enjoyed going through all the options when initially creating my character. With the entry fee (you get your first month free!) you can create one character per server, so playing with your friends shouldn't too much of an issue. 

After creating and naming your character, you get to choose your initial class. This will also determine your starting area! Classes are divided into the three classic roles in MMO's: the tanks, the DPS and the supports. I personally prefer playing as support classes, but have ended up leveling classes in all areas. (More on the classes in the Gameplay section).

The 2.0 storyline starts of 5 years after the calamity at Ala Mhigo during 1.0. Don't worry though, the game assumes you haven't played that first game (since many people didn't). As you can expect, you're the voiceless hero (eventually) that ends up doing all the grunt work for Eorzea's good guys (mostly). Not too exciting, right? It's strange but the more you play, the more invested you become in the characters despite the typical MMO framework. I think part of the reason is that you get more time to get to know the characters as well as that distinct Final Fantasy flavour.

ENVIRONMENT

A lot of this game's scenery reminds of Final Fantasy X, with a dash of VII. I say that because a lot of the end-game areas have a darker technological feeling to it. A lot of the themes derived from the story deals with Nature versus Technology, which is reflected in the world's scenery. In a lot of cases, the lines are blurred which is always something I like to see. Fanatics on either side aren't welcome (as seen with the Garleans and the Beast Tribes).

At first, players only have access to in-game taxi services like the Chocobokeep, or teleporting via Aetheryte. Later though, players can use the airship and a variety of mounts to get to the other city-states. Some mounts are copy and paste duplicates (like the horse mounts), but Squeenix makes up for it by adding cool unique soundtracks or special effects to the rarer mounts.

The main areas (Thanalan, The Black Shroud, and La Noscea) all have their own unique look ranging from lush forests to sandy deserts. As you gain levels, other areas such as Mor Dhona and Coerthas Central Highlands become available. There are also many Fates (something inspired by Guild Wars it may seem) that spawn around the map at various points. While these events don't carry as much impact on the world as they did in GW2, it still keeps the areas looking lively, with many opportunities for you to grind out your classes.

Players also have access to residential areas for both private housing and Free Company (guild) housing. Each area is based on the main city-state it belongs to, so each area has a distinct style with varying sizes in plots of land available for purchase. Sometimes it's fun to just run around and meet your neighbours!

GAMEPLAY

 I much prefered this classic system over Guild War 2's solely because I felt the satisfaction of fulfilling my chosen role. For instance, in GW2 the idea was that you should be able to heal yourself rather easily without the need of a dedicated support. Or rather, anyone can preform pretty much any role they should choose, with minor differences. This lessened my enjoyment of the game because I play characters with a certain role in mind! That isn't to say that certain support classes in FFXIV can't dish out some serious DPS! (Hello, Scholar!)

Rogue (which unlocks Ninja) can be unlocked after entering the game in Limsa Lominsa)

The sheer amount of things to do in the game as it is right now (pre-expansion) is simply massive. By end-game, the player has access to an inventory of different dungeons ranging with difficulty, 24-player raids, end-game raids, PVP, guildhests (short objective-based quests), end-game weapon quests, intense primal fights (similar to giant boss battles), and probably a few more things I'm forgetting! And these are just the things which are battle-oriented! I know quite a few players that focus on crafting and gathering too.

COMMUNITY

Are you a fanboy or fangirl of the Final Fantasy series? WELCOME!

A lot of games that focus online tend to have a lot of people who don't socialize. They do their thing solo and generally get really frustrated with you. In my experience, while people do tend to get frustrated if they hit a wall in a dungeon or primal fight, people in general are happy to interact with you in the overall world. Many times I'll be doing something and someone will wave as they pass by, or if I died in the map I know I can just /shout in chat and someone will come to raise me.

I haven't seen people be openly hostile in chat either. In fact, after coming out of a game like League of Legends, I think the FFXIV community is really energetic and positive by comparison! I think part of the reason why I've played for so long is that I've built up some meaningful relationships in my Free Company and elsewhere. It's great when you can play with people who you can speak to on a regular basis! Of course, this is generally one of the many charms of MMO's. It's can also break an MMO for someone too.

My rule of thumb for people looking to get into this kind of game is to take it slow, but also to put in what you expect to get out of it. So, if you want these meaningful interactions with others, try putting some energy into chatting with others! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

CLOSING REMARKS

I haven't even really scratched the surface with everything available in the game as of now, and surely that list will grow like crazy once Heavensward is released. For those of you still on the fence about the game, I say take the plunge! While the subscription service is hefty for some people, the incentives are pretty nice, the first month is free, and Steam sometimes has the game on sale. So keep your eyes peeled and you may find that you'll end up in the same boat as the many others who enjoy the game! 

See you in Eorzea!

GAME REVIEW | Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze

Ahhh yes, the ancient rivalry between penguins and apes! 

This is a really hard game! I'm not the greatest at platformers, but I have fond memories of playing level after lever of the SNES games without too much difficulty... I can't be getting old right?

I have only played the game in multiplayer so that's the only experience I can speak to.. But I miss the days when dedicated multiplayer was an option in games. In DKTP, Player 1 is forced to play as Donkey Kong while Player 2 can choose between Cranky, Dixie or Diddy Kong. Each Kong has their own skill, but they all generally perform the same task. You kill enemies by bouncing on their heads or throwing something at them.

I started as DK and quickly got frustrated with how hard he was to control in the air. So many times we would die from silly things like seemingly easy jumps. His sprint is also unpredictable because you can overshoot your landing... Especially when you're forced to play the character, it can get a little frustrating! Especially when you share lives with teammates, if one person keeps dropping the ball then it's really easy to run out of extra tries. My partner and I found it easier to just use up the four lives and game over than to buy extra lives.

So far my favourite Kong to play as is Dixie, because her helicopter banana hair gives you a little more control while in the air. Cranky has an interesting cane jump so he doesn't get hurt by spikey pitfalls, but there are so many drops so far in the game that I'd much prefer having the control in the air.

The levels are pretty fun! With lots of platforms and dynamic views. The barrels you can jump into will sometimes shoot you into the background where you'll be chased by various scary things. The enemies are generally very weird.... penguins, owls, fire pigs...? Then again, it's not like crocodiles made much sense either. Also the random pig allies at checkpoint are weird... I don't get it.

And let's not talk about DK's creepy voice!

Let's talk about graphics. This is a beautiful game! I enjoyed the immersion in each stunning scene and the effects seemed to work together. I liked the familiar-made-new style from the older games for a new generation. And just look at that fluffy gorilla! So soft...

I've been looking forward to new games with co-op being a strong focus in the gameplay. I'm tired of games that treat multiplayer as solely means for PVP. I think sharing the surge of excitement after beating one of these levels with a partner is really great and the level difficulty is refreshing to say the least. If you're looking to share some of that Donkey Kong nostalgia with your kids then maybe give this one a shot. You'll definitely need a lot of patience, but I think it's worth the grind for such a good game.

GAME REVIEW | Splatoon

You're a kid now! You're a squid now!

Splatoon is the recently released, super-colourful 3rd person shooter from Nintendo. I had zero interest until I saw how fun and and hectic the versus mode is! You get to play as either a guy or girl squid... thing... but other than changing your eye and skin colour there isn't much customization for your physical appearance. The gameplay focuses around your ability to turn into a squid, as well as your ink-shooting water gun. As you gain experience, you can unlock many different attachments that alter the playing style of your gun. You also have access to different sub-weapons like grenades and turrets that spray your colour of ink.

Where this game really shines is its team-based versus mode. With four players on each side and short match times, you can easily get addicted to re-queuing for hours! In this mode, the aim is to cover as much of the map in your colour as you can. Rather than Call of Duty or other shooters where the aim is to kill as many people as you can, killing other players in this game only serves to temporarily give you a respite from the action. You can maintain control of one corner of the map and have a huge kill count, but unless your team works together you'll probably lose more games than you'll win! I think I really like this because the nature of the game is more casual and friendly for people of all ages. I find the different gun types work well for different team roles too. 

For instance, I really like the paint roller so that my team can race forward to secure more territory while I paint the base! Plus, it has a large area of coverage so it feels super epic when you find a spot that isn't painted. On the other hand, the PVP of the paint roller isn't very strong since it's very close range, so someone with a strong gun can shoot you from afar! It's all about what you want to bring to the team...

I've only played a little bit of the story mode so far only because PVP is so much fun! What I can say though is that story mode aims to hone your skills (which is should), while providing a fun platforming experience. The puzzles aren't necessarily hard at first, and I think the difficulty is gradual. The bosses are really silly, with tiny little feet and funny character design. One thing about story that I feel they missed out on was the concept of more collectibles. So far, you only need to collect pages of lore in each level, but I think it'd be neat to also have areas where you can fill in outlined graffiti with ink that provide other little boosts or maybe Miiverse stickers! Something extra to reward your exploration of the world would be appreciated, I think.

Another thing I think may put some players off is the ultra-cutesy and 'hip' style the game fronts. For instance, the fashion in the game is very urban so some players might feel limited in the customization of their character. Especially at first, since you have to play the game a ton first in order to even unlock the ability to buy different clothes! There's this whole theme in the game of being fresh enough (seafood joke, anyone?) and practically every NPC says this on a regular basis. It's a bit cheesy, but kind of endearing at the same time.

Finally, I think one other thing this game excels at (especially for Nintendo) is the integration of the Miiverse messages players can create in-game. In the Plaza, the overworld in a way, players can access their Miiverse and created messages. These messages will be displayed with your character as they appear in the Plazas of other players. After a PVP match, your Plaza will refresh to display new players. It's really fun to walk around and look at all the neat artwork people have created for the game! A lot of Squidward memes though, haha! Your artwork can even be featured as graffiti in the Plaza, or in the arena during PVP matches. I was able to find one of my drawings during a match today!

tdlr; Splatoon is addictive and crazy! I think you'll really enjoy the PVP!---- WAIT A MINUTE $70?! *SWEATS PROFUSELY*

MANGA REVIEW | Yona of the Dawn

I'm a sucker for historical romance. There, I said it.

And In particular, shoujo manga does a really good job of empowering female characters in a historical setting. For some reason, a lot of them has red hair though which I find a little weird... Anyways Yona of the Dawn or, Akatsuki no Yona, is your typical yet not-so-typical shoujo that falls under the historical romance genre.

I say it's typical in that there's the same general setup for these kinds of stories. You can typically choose between Plot A, in which a modern girl is sent back in time as some sort of chosen one in a reverse harem. Or, choose Plot B where a rich/poor girl has her situation reversed against her will so she ends up poor/rich, forcing her to change and grow in a coming-into-her-own. Plot B likes to include poor girls being forced into harems by princes, or princesses being exiled so she has to hide her identity for survival. Akatsuki no Yona falls into the latter. Circumstances occur where her spoiled ways of life are forced to change. Of course in all cases the protagonist finds herself in a reverse harem situation, generally with perhaps one other female figure to keep her company.

How Akatsuki no Yona isn't typical though, is that I think Yona's growth happens a lot sooner than most female leads. She becomes a strong leader and very fierce when provoked. When she get's fired up you can't help but feel so pumped along with her. Like, "Oh wow shit's going down". All of her talents derive from hard work that they spend time showing you trhoughout the story. There's no hidden abilities that she obtains through ease. You see her sweat and work for it, failing sometimes and getting back up. I think it's refreshing! And for the male characters that do have special over-powered abilities it's for a good reason. It's because they're freaking dragons.

So yeah, Yona after being forced to flee her kingdom has to find different dragons in order to have the strength to take back her kingdom. In a way, Akatsuki no Yona also draws from Plot A in that Yona's a kind of chosen one, but nothing is ever stated definitely and it's more of a general feeling that the various characters feel towards her. Another thing I like about this protagonist is that she doesn't expect anything from anyone either. She approaches these dragons with the hopes that they'll join her, but is totally open if they reject her too. It's by earning their friendship and trust that she gains their loyalty, and while they do feel that strong mystical attraction towards her I like that it's not the sole reason. 

This manga (and anime now) is one of the few stories where I enjoy reading about every character involved. They all feel like characters I can relate to and I don't find myself skipping through scenes because I'm bored. Even the antagonist, Yona's childhood friend, I find myself rooting for because he's not evil for the sake of it in the slightest. I wouldn't even use evil to describe his character at all! In fact, I find myself torn between rooting for him and rooting for Yona as I think they both have the potential for being great rulers. It's rare that I feel this way for this kind of story.

As for the romance, yes I ship her with pretty much every man in the show she interacts with. It's a harem, of course. There's the base romance triangle between her, Hak and Soo-Won which is very cute and necessary for this genre to work. While it provides the basis for the romantic sub-plot of the story, I find Akatsuki no Yona really isn't driven that much by romance. Initially Yona's attraction to Soo-Won feels more like an innocent infatuation, while her relationship with Hak doesn't really develop until much later. I actually found they pushed it much more forward in the anime than they did in the manga... I also found it more subtle when reading.

Even the other men in the harem seem more devoted to her out of respect and loyalty than out of romance. I think Yona kind of just takes them by storm and they just get swept up in it all. I think her relationship with the quiet Shin-Ah is very sweet though and Jae-Ha's more explicit interest in her keeps my shoujo spirit in tact while reading.

The artwork is beautifully drawn and the character designs have that Chinese-inspired feeling to it which feels suitable for the characters' environment. The series isn't finished yet as I write this, but I look forward to each update! I highly recommend this series for people who like political, romantic, or historical plots.

MOVIE REVIEW | Mad Max: Fury Road

Remember to breathe...

Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies I've seen in a long time, if ever. I'm not a huge fan of the genre, I think a lot of it is overdone, but I really liked this movie. Here's why: review

1) Visually STUNNING

Holy crap is this a gorgeous movie! Despite the gore, disturbing content, and disfiguration throughout the shots are beautifully composed. I felt immersed in the world and wasn't distracted by the CGI (in fact, I hardly noticed it). The way the director shows off the world makes me wonder about the lives of characters outside the movie, how one could live in such a hostile environment.

2) Diabolical ACTION

As soon as I saw the trailer in theatres it stuck in my mind. I loved the amazing variety of thrown-together weapons and vehicles. It reminded me a lot of the game Borderlands in that many of the hostile characters just look too crazy to be real. Insanely suicidal, no-holds-bars....... Just madness. I think maybe the only thing that would have been cooler is if they used the environment just a tiiiiiny bit more. Of course there's the huge sandstorm you see in the trailer (cool scene by the way), and another scene with some wicked motorbikes on mountainous terrain, but other than that the violence really centered around the vehicles. However, the vehicles were so varied that it kept the action fresh. From start to finish it really is non-stop, with brief breaks in between scenes.

3) Interesting WOMEN-CENTERED Plot

I was wondering to myself if I would call this a movie with a feminist goal in mind. I had read a couple reviews before watching the movie so I already had an idea of what was in store for me. Furiosa is a breath of fresh air for me and I'm ecstatic that there was zero romance inclination towards Max. She kicked ass, yet felt relatable in a struggling human-being kind of way. While Max is the eponymous hero, I genuinely felt as though he and Furiosa were equal as partners. They both needed to survive, they had to take care of their own and they worked together to get it accomplished. Max treats her with respect, and Furiosa values his opinion. I did hesitate near the end when Max offers the final decision they have to make, but it was ultimately Furiosa's decision. Furiosa wasn't just an emotionless character either, nor was she completely masculine like the common tendency with female characters these days. After watching her I really want to explore her backstory some more. As a mainstream viewer (one who hasn't seen the original nor any other Mad Max content before his movie), the only thing that confused me was how she had gained so much influence within her community. She tells us she was abducted, and this is a place that uses women for breeding only, and yet she seems to hold a lot of respect in the beginning. It makes me really curious!

I also really enjoyed the symbolism surrounding the notion of womanhood. You have motherhood in the form of the women escaping, in attempts to protect their unborn children. Then you have the elders, forms of knowledge long forgotten in our current society (for the most part). I recognized some interesting adaptations of native American teachings from my own culture in the forms of land-based storytelling (the satellites) and the seeds. There was also a great display of physical strength by women with Furiosa and the awesome grandmother biker gang.

I loved the metaphor of the water being controlled by men, who are overthrown by a group of women. At the beginning of the movie, this world is oversaturated by men in power. It's clear that the people aren't happy, being able to barely survive with what little he gives them. He literally controls their lives by controlling their water supply, which is also a common symbol for life in of itself. Given the rest of the movie and who is seen issuing the water at the end, I like to think of it as woman's position in society today. Men control the resources, the positions of power and women are thirsty for their own independence. An extreme image, I know, and I'm not saying it's this extreme in real life. What I feel though is that women are struggling to find a space in society where they can exercise their own autonomy. The grasp at whatever figurative drops of water they can. By the way, it's not just women suffering in this community either, but it's made clear that both men and women in this movie are subject to torment by the hands of a few.

It's implied that Furiosa and the other women will be the ones to take over the city after the movie ends and the only male left alive who helped them (Max) decides to step down and let them handle it. It's as if to say "Look what we did (men) and where it's brought us. Perhaps it's time for someone else to have a shot at it." He's also the lone ranger type, but the image of the women rising up (to power) and him being lost in the crowd below them was an optimistic scene for me. It was subservience on Max's part either since he grins up at Furiosa while she grins down to him. It's not hostile, it's not because one is better or worse... just respectful. I really liked that.

Perhaps my only criticisms...

I think the antagonists were a bit thin in character. They were just evil for the sake of evil in the eyes of the audience. I don't even remember the main guy's name. I don't even remember most of the names to be honest! But do you really go to see Mad Max for an epic storyline? No. So it was appropriate.

Just look at this guy! He's sooo evil it's not even funny! Right down to his 80's haircut.

By the final chase scene, I felt so exhausted from vehicles crashing into each other that I might have been a bit desensitized to it in some parts. They were still really enjoyable, but by that point explosions and the like can only look different so many times. You could probably summarize the whole movie as just one giant chase scene. Not a bad thing necessarily, it's actually a very neat concept to me. Sure, lots of movies have the good guys running from the bad guys the entire time, but a movie with only vehicle chases done as many ways possible? Pretty cool!

Oh ya, also... I guess almost all POC die in post-apocalyptia...

tl;dr You should go see Mad Max: Fury Road in theatres because it's a really wicked movie.

ANIME REVIEW | Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo

In which they literally find the plot in the 5th episode...

Yamada is a your run-of-the-mill delinquent protagonist. He arrives late to class if he isn't skipping and his grades are terrible. In contrast to honour student Shiraishi, they're polar opposites. One day their lives change when Yamada accidentally slips while climbing the stairs, kissing Shiraishi below and....  switching bodies.

So I think you know where this is going!

If you're at all familiar with the concept of the whole body-switching plot then you'll probably be able to guess what happens in each episode. 

What I'm glad to see though is that it isn't strictly a reverse harem scenario, which I was anticipating it to be! There's a good balance between guys and girls in the show and everyone gets some good moments.There's a lot of "Oh, hey, I have boobs now" after they body-switch, among other powers to be uncovered over the course of the episodes, and it's all in the name of silly ecchi fun.

I found myself laughing out loud a few times each episode. The show's upbeat and great for mindless enjoyment.

I'm currently on the 5th episode and they've only just found the plot. It appears as a dusty manuscript left behind by the previous club members of the Supernatural Studies Club. I'm interested to see what the other powers will do!

ANIME REVIEW | Shokugeki no Souma

Shokugeki no Souma is about a bunch of students cooking food... really intensely.

When I first saw the trailer I thought it was playing off that trend where people are paid to eat in front of a camera... and enjoy it (boy sign me up). And while I wasn't surprised in some areas, I can say that this is a really weird show.

Source: Huffington Post

The show centers around a kid named Yukihira Souma, who wants to defeat his dad in cooking and take over the restaurant his family runs. Sound familiar? Change the cooking theme and you've basically got your cookie-cutter plot for a shounen. What I didn't know was apparently either the artist or director was involved with hentai for the longest time before taking on this project. I guess that explains a couple things...

I swear they're just eating food...

One of the things that sets this anime apart from some shounen is the incredibly risqué nature of some of the scenes. People take a single bite and suddenly their clothes get ripped off in a dramatic display. It's super over-the-top and ridiculous. Lately though this sort of thing isn't really groundbreaking if you think about it. It's common for shounen to have bursts of promiscuity in the shows, and with things like Kill la Kill and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the whole over-the-top themes aren't anything new.

Where the show is interesting though is taking these common shounen strands and placing them in cooking. Honestly, waiting for something to bake isn't really that exciting in real life. Shokugeki no Souma is a fun show because it sits right at home with these other shounen shows. It's surprising at first and entertaining, plus the art style is accessible for people not entirely keen on the typical shounen. I wouldn't recommend this show for young kids though, while it's not explicit it's still very sexual in nature. If that's something you don't want your kid watching, then maybe look for something else.

MOVIE REVIEW | Avengers: Age of Ultron

AVENGERS TWO WAS.... pretty good!

After the wake of the first Avengers's success, we've had an absolute flood of superhero movies showing up in the theatres. It's not going to slow down either, now with Justice League coming up and even more Marvel films. I'm sure you'll get a healthy dose of comic book adaptations to last you a while!

So how did this sequel stack up to its predecessor? I went in feeling it would be hard for them to pull off something equally as entertaining as the first Avengers when they're adding so many more characters this time around. And yes, I count Hawkeye as one of those new characters since he got completely left behind last time around. I'm happy to say that this film devotes a lot of screentime developing Hawkeye's character so that we end up caring about him a little more.

Some other characters were Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, who are Russian twins initially against the Avengers but eventually join them to fight against Ultron. Overall these two characters were alright, but obviously we don't care about them as much when their backstory takes up a few minutes here when we've had years to get to know the other Avengers. Also I'm just not a fan of the fast guy powers of Quicksilver, so I wasn't too interested in him. Scarlet Witch had a little more development, and I liked the savage nature of her powers but not so much her Buffy the Vampire Slayer gothic look. (I guess that makes sense if it'd Joss Whedon, though!)

Ultron was pretty cool, and an interesting shift from the more emotion-driven Loki. He was suave and philosophical... I'd like to go on a dinner date with him so long as I'd come out alive. Did I feel the threat though? Not really. It felt sort of like he was there just to provide plot and Tony Stark's character development. He was entertaining to watch though, and the CG was really well done I thought.

One criticism I have with this movie is what they did with Black Widow. She had some technical upgrades because I guess she needed to be a little more special to play with the other boys, but her getup wasn't what I liked about her to begin with. Remember those scenes at the beginning of the last Avengers? When she's in an interrogation and then kicks ass? Yeah. When she outsmarts Loki? Yeah! I don't like Black Widow because she can fight or calm down the Hulk, I like her because she smart! I don't recall a time in this movie, at least not one that sticks in my mind like those other scenes do, where she used her spy skills to get ahead. I found the focus with her was entirely on her relationship with Bruce Banner. How disappointing.

And that scene where she calls herself a monster for what happened to her in the Red Room? No thanks. They missed an opportunity for inclusion there for other women who can't conceive and I would have liked to have seen Bruce Banner do something other than stare blankly at her. And she get's kidnapped and imprisoned? Bruce Banner saving her? I was waiting for her to bust out on her own!

Maybe I'm being harsh on her character, but when female characters are so limited in these movies, the spotlight and pressure needs to be on them so that they improve. Otherwise they never will...

I want to end on something positive because that's how I roll. I really liked what they did with Tony Stark. I thought the scene with the Hulk Crusher was pretty cool and shows the relationship between the Hulk and the Avengers really well.

I also feel like they're setting up Tony Stark to retire or something. He screwed up pretty bad in this movie with the creation of Ultron and it seems like while he learned a lesson, I think he'd still end up doing it again. Some might think that limits his development, but I don't believe that humans learn from their mistakes after only one time. Stark's a man of science, and I don't think a setback would keep him from experimenting again because that's not science.

In all, I would recommend this movie if you've invested in the past movies. It's enjoyable to watch, but it's obvious that there will be holes in future movies if you don't see this one first.

ANIME REVIEW | Ore Monogatari

Ore Monogatari (My Love Story in English) isn't your typical shoujo.

First off, it's written from the perspective of Takeo Gouda, a freakishly large and strong young man entering high school. He's a hopeless romantic, but frequently gets sidelined for his freakishly handsome friend Makoto Sunakawa.

At first glance, I thought I had it all figured out.

"Oh! Obviously Gouda will like the cute girl, but she'll go for his friend instead. Then the whole series will be him trying to win her over." Right? RIGHT? WRONG.

What the show does really well is establish a subtle, realistic way that someone might second guess themselves. The love interest, Rinko Yamato, is a freakishly feminine person and so Gouda is quick to step aside and cheer her and his friend on. What he doesn't realize though, is that she's been dropping all sorts of hints throughout the first few episodes that Gouda's the one she's interested in!

It can be hard to get passed the SUPER sweet style of Yamato at first, but her gentle character wins you over eventually.

This sort of low self-confidence, while fresh when written from a guy's perspective, is really familiar in the shoujo setting which is why it sits so well when the tables are turned. I also like how the main male love interest isn't your typically drawn protagonist (like Sunakawa). This show has taken all the standard tropes in a fresh way, with some really good comedy thrown in!

The animation is minimal, nothing crazy like Kill la Kill, but the style of the characters like Gouda keep the show interesting for me. I love the extreme expressions he has when juxtaposed with Sunakawa's nonchalant energy. They make a really good pair!

Obviously this is a story driven by character, so someone new to shoujo might find it a little slow. However by shoujo standards this show is amazingly fast! I think the show's only on episode 5 and Gouda and Yamato are already together! Sometimes this small thing could take an entire season. Denial is one of shoujo's strong points as a genre. Many stories end up being such a slow burn that I get burned out, when relationships typically aren't like that anymore (at least where I'm from).

I would definitely check it out if you're a long-time fan of shoujo whose looking for a twist on the typical story!